This place has had great food for years, but they've really been particularly great during COVID times given the ease of online ordering here, the speed with which they put an order together, and the excellence across the menu. The chicken is fantastic on its own (on par with El Pollo Rico or Sardi's, great char on the outside and tender juiciness inside) or in/alongside other dishes. The grilled chicken salad is particularly delicious, with avocado and chickpeas and a really flavorsome and distinctive lime cilantro dressing. It's been a once-a-week (at least) must get for me and it's been great every single time. As for the sides, the chaufa and mac and cheese are my favorites, though frankly, I usually just get an extra quarter chicken because it's too delicious to pass up. read more

This has to be the best Peruvian chicken I've eaten. I ordered the 1/2 chicken, and both the dark and white meat was so tender it practically fell off the bone. The skin wasn't that crispy, but I really didn't care as I was so busy shoveling the meat into my mouth. It was seasoned great and I couldn't stop eating it. But after I was done, my belly was really full. I couldn't finish my two side dishes. I really liked the two sauces. The green one had a nice kick to it while the peach looking one was pretty good. During lunch time, the lines can get long and you might have to wait for a table, so get there early or after 1 PM. I can't wait to go back next week! read more

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Went out to lunch with some colleagues. I love Peruvian chicken! For some reason I decided to order their chicken salad - which has chunks of grilled chicken in the salad. The chicken was excellent! The problem was - the rest of the salad was rather ho-hum! Not many other vegetables - and A LOT of lettuce, some avocado... Next time I will just order succulent Peruvian chicken! I've learned my lesson about their salads! Service was excellent! read more

Don Pollo - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

For some reason, I didn't think this place would look nice inside. I decided to finally give it a try though because I didn't want to drive all the way to Sardi's in Gaithersburg. It was pretty good and similar to Sardi's, but their chicken are smaller in size and the portions were generally smaller. The chicken, yucca, and rice & beans were just as good as the ones at Sardi's, but if the prices are similar, I feel you might as well go to Sardi's since they give you bigger portions. read more

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The best chicken in or near Gaithersburg area! We get carry out from Don Pollo at least once a week!

As a Peruvian Chicken restaurant, the food is great. One of my favorite places to get chicken from. But on today's visit I got food Togo and they are now charging a "Packing Fee". I find this ridiculous ?! We are trying to support restaurants and these types of restaurants are a mainly carry out restaurants. They are charging 5% PACKING fee. UpdMay 2022 I went in ordered a half chicken with two sides. Requested dark meat only. Order took about 20min to be ready. Once I got home I opened my food just to find 1/4 chicken not the 1/2 I paid for. Another Update: June 23 2022 I don't know why I keep coming here to just find something else wrong. Beware that the menu price displayed and what they charge you will be different. Half chicken price on the display says $13.95 and they charge me $14.50. Not a big deal but they need to update their menu prices not just sneak it in there read more

Love my Peruvian chicken!! Love the sauces and love the sides (Cole slaw and yuca) They forgot my Cole slaw But i just called and they immediately let me know I could come in whenever to pick it up. It was very nice and glad they were able to make such a quick service recovery. This place is always hot and fresh. Awesome chicken. Not much else to say but everyone should try it!! Ooo one thing I didn't prefer was the potato salad, a little bland read more

Don Pollo - Chicken, rice and beans, pico, potato salad, yuca - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Manager just replied. See the message. He clearly didn't read my review. I *phoned* the order into the actual restaurant and verified the price with the person that took the order AT the restaurant!!! She confirmed the price was correct and admitted it to the manager!!! But the manager wouldn't honor the price her own employee stated! I've told everyone I run into, friend or otherwise that I see in the shopping center about this experience and several will never go there again. Bad news travels fast! Customer loyalty is what keeps people in business. You have none. You are not the only restaurant in the area ... PLENTY of other options well within close and easy walking distance that appreciate my business that I am glad to give it to! And everyone in the area knows it too! read more

Worst lunch ever!!!!! Literally slop in a bowl and just overall sucked. Never again. Shit was $10 read more

Don Pollo - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

They had no chicken ready, and where trying to serve raw chicken, don't recommend coming YOU WILL GET SICK

The BEST Peruvian chicken in the area. I always order ahead of time to pick up and they are very quick. The chicken is juicy and flavorful, the sauce is delicious too! read more

The chicken Is So Amazingggg Omg And the GreenBeans are cooked perfectly With a Crisp. read more

Yes, please! This place is conveniently located 5 minutes from my job and makes a delicious lunch. They had so many options. I went with the quarter chicken, mac n cheese and yucca. The mac n cheese was amazing! I feel like yucca may be a required taste. I like it but I know a ton of people who rather opt for fries. The chicken was so juicy and well flavored. I literally ate here 3 days in a row. Yassss. read more

Last night we chose to take a break from cooking, and visited Don Pollo in Gaithersburg, MD. We spent $60 of takeout food, and ordered for (4) chicken dinners. Unfortunately, when we arrived home with our food, we could not eat the food because the chicken undercooked and raw! One of orders the chicken meat was dry, the black beans were hard, and the rice was undercooked as well! Also one order had human hair mixed in the rice and beans. The plantains were soaked in oil, and we had to discard the food because as hungry as were I think it's safe to say, getting sick from potential food poisoning for eating undercook food is not a risk we were willing to take. Our takeaway from this food experience: 1) perhaps food handlers should wear hair nets and gloves; and 2) management should conduct consistent quality checks by ensuring the chicken is cooked at the appropriate cooking temperatures. On a positive note the customer service was good!! But the food was bad!!! Regardless of where you get your takeout, always inspect your food before you leave!!! read more

Fantastic - the chicken is incredibly moist and well seasoned and the flan was delightful. Half chicken with mac & cheese and coleslaw: the chicken here is top notch. If you've ever been to NYC and had chirpin chicken, it's at that level of quality. The breast remains moist, the dark meat is succulent, the skin is nicely charred from the grill, and the cuban spices are fragrant. This chicken is easily 5 times better than supermarket rotisserie chicken. The mac and cheese is nothing special but the coleslaw is really excellent. Very fresh and crunch, low on the mayo. Fantastic side. The sauces are interesting - I didn't really use the pinkish mayo-based sauce as the chicken was so delicious and moist but the green hot sauce is great. Spicy and refreshing. The flan is some of the best I've ever had. Dense but not rich. The texture is smooth and substantial. The cream and caramel flavors are very strong. It's a very strong custard with a pleasingly thick texture. Not too sweet and the depth of caramel flavor keeps you coming back for more. It's a good size portion too. read more

Don Pollo - Half chicken, Mac, coleslaw - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

I'm sorry, I'm still a picca chicken fan! Pro's -customer friendly -seat yourself -order at the cashier, take a number, and food appears! -food comes out hot and quick -kid friendly! -lots of TVs and upbeat music Con's -chicken wasn't as juicy -green sauce was a little spicy but more watery and the other sauce was very mayo and creamy.. Not much flavor -cucumber salad had so much potential! Need a bit more flavor and less water It was a good, quick dinner for the family and I. Didn't really hit too many taste buds for me. Sorry, will stick with picca! read more

I've been on a Peruvian chicken binge lately and came to Don Pollo after the gym one evening. They are located near the Shady Grove Shopping Center off of Gaither Road. A deserving 5 stars for the food and Edin was very attentive and checked up on us a few times. I ordered 1/4 white chicken with a side of rice and beans and yucca. Don't judge me with doubling up on the carbs but I was feeling reckless! The chicken was tender and juicy on the inside and perfectly charred on the outside. We also tried their flan for dessert and it was delicious. I originally wanted the tres leches cake but they were sold out. The price was right for the huge portions! Plenty of seating inside and the booths were massive enough to fit 4 people on both sides. Water jugs were available on the counter which was convenient. I'm happy to know they are around the corner from work so I'll definitely be coming for lunch next time! read more

Don Pollo - 1/4 chicken with rice and beans and yucca. - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Tasty Peruvian roasted chicken, wide array of delicious sides. I've been here many times, and usually get the 1/4 white meat with two sides. The chicken is always delicious and well-seasoned, with nicely crispy skin. Sometimes it's juicy, other times just a bit dry, but to me that's an acceptable trade-off for serving up roasted chicken 2 minutes after it's ordered instead of 45. Some of the sides are so good I'd almost come here just for those. The green beans are a must: perfectly cooked every time, crisp and garlicky. The mashed potatoes (also garlicky!), rice & beans and plantains are also very good. Service has always been friendly and fast. As others note, the food often arrives a mere minute or two after you're seated. It's a clean, casual place with comfortable booths and outdoor seating for when the weather's nice. The 1/4 white or 1/4 dark meat meals run about $10, and are plenty filling for me, but if you've got a bigger appetite or are value-conscious, a mere $2 more bumps things up to a half chicken. read more

Don Pollo - 1/4 white meat with green beans, plantains and tasty dipping sauces - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

The chicken was very good and the plantains were authentic. My favorite dish was the chaufa rice. It was a great find.

Food is great but you all are so chintzy ok giving out the sauces. The Sauce is so cheap to make. It such a shame you can't be more generous with the sauces and the size after people spend good money there for food. read more

I don't understand why this place is not more crowded as the food is good. Perhaps it is a Tuesday in August and people are on vacation. The chicken is slow roasted with wonderful spices. I like the roasted vegetables and black beans as a a side. Try this place, you won't be disappointed. read more

This used to be my go-to takeout meal. Unfortunately, they have discontinued many of my favorite items: green beans, ceviche, and shrimp chaufa. Their charges for extra sauce are baffling. Only place I know where the per unit price goes UP the more units you order. Clearly, they are struggling, as a sign in the window indicated they have discontinued a courtesy discount for neighboring merchants. As an aside, people either should either wear masks properly or not at all. All three employees with masks were using them as chin/neck warmers. read more

So I've been here multiple times since my last review. After all there are only so many places you can eat around here. The chicken is chicken, hard to mess up. Today however, I ventured into trying the Pollo Saltado. As a given I never get Lomo Saltado at these fast casual places. Restaurants only unless you want sub par cuts of meat (word to the wise). So onto the Pollo Saltado... it was completely edible however the chicken was odd looking. Almost thought I got beef but it's not so it has to be chicken, right? At least I hope so. And the portion, oh the portion... it's on the small side. For the 12 to $13 it cost, I don't consider it worth my money. The most I'd pay for this is 9.....maybe $10. read more

Don Pollo - Pollo (?) Saltado - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

I had a great first time experience here, ordering 1/4 white meat chicken with mac and cheese and french fries. It was so good with better than average sides (you can pick two with meal) and comes with spicy and medium sauces. Man, it was good. But today at lunch, I decided to order 1/4 dark chicken. It was ordered for me before I got there and when I sat down, man, it must have been the saddest, tiniest chicken I have ever seen. The sides were fine like before, but really? I was just staring at the meal with pure and utter disappointment. At least my friends chickens looked good, just not mine. Going to try this place one more time before seeking another chicken place to try up the road on 355, which also has good reviews on Yelp. Really want to give this place 4-5 stars, perhaps in my next visit here! read more

This is another chain-restaurant review, so I will keep it brief. This location is as good as any other Don Pollo location in regards to food quality. The breast was a little dry, but it is a chicken breast, that can happen. Mi Peru wins the award for moistest breasts... ha. The ambiance is 5 star, better than any other charcoal chicken joint in the area. I also prefer the way DP seasons their birds over most other local options. They are a little skimpy on the sauces, but this is common practice. The service is always friendly and quick. I'll be back. read more

Seriously would u be excited after picking this up on 7.16. Yuca n fries hard as a rock. Looked like some left over for the previous day. Chicken was so dry not exciting at all. Food was cold, i have been buying lunch here everytime am on that end. The yuca was delicious n tasty. This experience was horrible... dont think i will be back... read more

Don Pollo - Chicken with 2 Sides - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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First time I went I was greeted quickly, placed my order and was told no subs for sauces. I don't need the "peach colored" sauce they have here, ( it's yellow in most places). Only the hot green sauce. They would not sub a sauce but told me I could purchase extra green. What sense does this make considering another person may want the mild and no hot? Shouldn't it all work out in the end $? Here's what I've tried : Quarter white double fries. Chicken was dry but well seasoned. Fries were hot. chaufa: found some bits of mysterious meat with bones and the peas and carrots were still crunchy. Way too many sprouts. Lomo twice- having been married to a Peruvian for 14 years and trying to please his taste buds, I know my Lomo. I was not impressed the first time but wanted to double check. The meat is big chunks of cheap stew meat. The fries are not mixed in. The first try had the right mixture of tomato, peppers and onion and the right doneness but the meat was fatty. The second try had big giant chunks of almost raw green pepper, wilted barely there onion and the tomatoes were stewy and mush. It was more like a green pepper stir fry with a bit of chunky meat. The worst thing about last nights Lomo was that the rice was hard. I mean so hard it was crunchy. So crunchy I believe I saved it from the rice cake factory. The other thing is I called my order in 20 minutes before I arrived but it was not ready. I watched as people stood in line, placed orders and paid and got their food. What's the point of calling in an order if I have to wait another 20 when I get there. Ok will I go back ? Probably because it's closer than Sardis and better than KFC. Do I love the food here? Not yet but since they are newly opened I'm hoping for consistency and geez Louise lay off the sauce surcharge! read more

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Don Pollo is now my favorite Peruvian place! They are always delicious and offer generous portions. Today I did a take out order of Lomo Saltado and a few other things and was disappointed when I got home that it had chicken instead of beef. This has never happened with them. They are always perfect. I don't live too close and didn't want to drive back there. I decided to call them up to let them know. I was not expecting much - maybe a refund for the difference. The person put me on hold and I decided to hang up because I thought it was silly to complaint for a $2 difference. About 15 minutes later, the Manager called me, apologized profusely and told me they would comp my next Lomo Saltado. Very happy with the resolution and look forward to my next take out visit. read more

A fan of Don Pollo in Bethesda and the restaurant group's Executive Pastry Chef Eva Stafford, my dining companion and I decided to try their newest location in Shady Grove. Relatively cavernous and more of a family-friendly sit-down place than the takeout-oriented Bethesda Don Pollo, the Gaithersburg location is attractive with its vast sunny space, wood tables, stainless steel kitchen, and open fridges filled with Chef Eva's yummy desserts. Our first visit was to try several of the many dessert offerings: Alfajores, Tres Leches, and Bread Pudding. After one bite of the Alfajores, we were hooked! The tender, crumbly cookies sandwich a delightful dulce de leche that was not only pleasantly sweet (whereas most caramels can be piercingly so) but also intrigues with a touch of fruity tartness. The Tres Leches was very sweet, but with some fancy raspberries from our freezer, they were moist milky cake goodness good with a spot of mint tea. The next day, we went back to enjoy the chicken with yuca and beer. While perusing the four beers on tap, my DC's eyes were locked on to the pretty yellow slushy drink served in mason jars: Frozen Lemon Margaritas! Served with a rim of salt snowflakes, it was a refreshing and tart boozy pairing for with their awesomely-rendered chicken. The yuca fries were great as well, served in a mini-metal bucket for a fancy touch. For our order (whole chicken with two sides--double order of yuca), we were given EIGHT sauces (all salsa verde as requested). At first, it seemed like a lot, but we went through all 8 since they provided a spicy and cleansing note while chomping away at the bird and fries. A bit buzzed after the Margarita, we decided to try some more of their large dessert selections. We ordered a Bread Pudding and Lucuma Ice Cream--the latter being a papaya-shaped fruit native to Peru and Chile. Both felt relatively virtuous for desserts: delicately sweet (just as we like them), moist, and light on the palate free of excessive richness. The lucuma was an eye-catching bright orange with a flavor characteristic of papaya but with the added fragrance of maple. As much as we like Don Pollo in Bethesda for a quick takeout, this new Gaithersburg branch offers much more for a sit-down meal, such as a wide variety of drinks (alcoholic as well as fruit-based), desserts, and entrees (our neighbors were diving into the Lomo Saltado and Arroz con Pollo). While much farther from home, this Don Pollo is worth the trip up I-270 for a sunny meal with equally cheery flavors! read more

One of my FAVORITE Peruvian chicken spots. I've been to some of their other locations, but when I found out they were opening right in my neighborhood, I literally counted down the days and went in on opening day! Good size location with plenty of seating. You order, get a number and seat yourself. Fast and casual. Chicken is always ON POINT. The chicken has great flavor and is always cooked to perfection. For sides, I love their rice, yucca, steamed vegetables, house salad, cucumber salad, corn pico and fried green beans. The house salad has a simple and light dressing that I really love. And their yucca is always hot, crispy and fresh. The mac & cheese is much better at the Bethesda location though, so don't suggest it here. I love the orange and green hot sauces. Both are really good, but keep in mind they do charge you for extra sauce. The service is always pretty good and prompt. Even when they're busy. Prices are reasonable! They have a private parking lot, but it gets packed during the lunch rush! read more

I had high expectations for this place, but i left the place disappointed. I came around 8:30 to grab dinner. The setting of the restaurant was very different to other peruvian chicken places I have visited in the past. When I went to order, i really didnt feel the "welcoming" feeling. I understand its 8:30 and you are about to close, but little professionalisms isn't too much to ask. I ordered the half of white chicken, green beans and yuca. The yuca was straight up dry and looked like leftovers. The green beans just tasted soggy didn't taste good at all. The chicken was alright, but my overall experience was not that great. read more

Don Pollo - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Don P!!! Of all the Peruvian chicken spots that have seemingly popped up over the past decade, this is my fav! The dining space is clean and spacious, with indoor options ranging from seating with chairs and booths, as well as a spacious outdoor porch dining area. The line moves quickly and there are usually two people taking orders at any given time. You are given a number and then sit wherever you like, staff brings out the food as soon as it's prepared and I've personally never waited long. I always go with the half chicken with white rice and some of the best green beans out there. HIGHLY recommend asking for extra yellow and green sauce. Don P absolutely earns their 5 stars with every visit! read more

Don Pollo - 1/2 White, white rice, green beans - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Pros: Very convenient location, ample parking. The inside is clean, and spacious, and they have an outdoor seating area. They have paper towel rolls on each table, which is great if you get as messy as I do whilst eating Peruvian chicken. My order came out quickly. Cons: Unfortunately, the chicken did not meet my expectations. I ordered 1/4 white meat. It was extra dry. I expect white meat to be a little dry, but this was overly dry. The sides were good though. I ordered white rice and black beans, plantains, and a side salad. Plantains were perfectly fried. The house dressing is odd though.Almost like a thick vinaigrette. The dipping sauces were...meh. They have an orange sauce, and a green sauce. The orange sauce reminded me of the Chik-fil-a sauce and the green sauce was not spicy at all. If it wasn't for the ambiance, they would have 2 stars solely for the food. read more

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Yummy to my tummy Peruvian chicken! I've passed this place so many times refusing to check it out bc it's located in a strip mall. I'm glad I decided to check it out. The food is fairly priced for what you receive. The 1/4 dark was flavorful and moist with a delicious crispy layer of skin. I opted for healthier sides (green beans and cucumber salad) but could tell the starchy items would have been amazing as well. I will definitely return bc service was friendly and fast and the food was authentic and good. read more

Don Pollo - Side order of plantains-yummy! - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

This is the best value and quality restaurant in the entire area and worth a trip to this branch and other branches in the Maryland area -- regardless of the value. For just about $9 you get delicious chicken ,two sides and very fast, gracious service. Order at the counter without a lot of needless delays due to confusing menus or poor staffing at the counter and then the food is delivered directly to your table. Compares very favorably not only with downscale Peruvian chicken eateries but also with Cava, Panera and less cost and hassle than Nando's Peri-Peri with the food as good or generally better than any of those other chains.Highly recommended. read more

I love this place - Peruvian chicken with green beans and black beans with rice is my go to dish - for under $9 this is a good value - plenty of seating and courteous staff make this a no brainer read more

Don Pollo - The restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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There are many places around this area for Peruvian chicken but DP has become my favorite and go to spot. It is conveniently located close to my job and their chicken is very flavorful and fresh as are their side dishes. If you have room for dessert, you must order the Tres Leches cake. It is moist and not overwhelmingly sweet. They'll add more condensed milk if you ask them. The restuarent is very nice and clean. As you enter, you're instructed by a sign to grab a beverage if you plan on purchasing one then line up to order your food. If you are dining in, you will receive a number and the food will be delivered to your table when ready. If you are doing carry out, there are a few tables by the pick up counter for you to sit while you wait. Service is great! The downside here is that they only give you a couple of sauces per order and you have to pay $0.35 per extra sauce. Other than that, I have no complaints. Consistently good experience here. read more

Don Pollo - 1/4 white with yucca and house salad and 1/2 dark with plantains and mashed potatoes - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Extremely disappointing experience! After ordering a $70 meal I get home to see two parts of my order were missing. I call back to speak with the manager and she says she has to check the cameras to see if i was actually given the order?! Why would I waste my time? This is food I paid for! Check cameras for two orders of fries?!! What turned into a 20 min back and forth argument should have been a simple apology and refund. I felt interrogated and disrespected. Extremely disappointed because in this case as the customer I was not given the benefit of the doubt. Poor customer service. read more

She did not ask me to leave, but she did said to go to the patio, then she went to the kitchen and began to laugh on the back with the other employees, also not the first time on your restaurant and the other manager did understand, I have to said that one of your employees did explain to her that my dog is a dog service and that was not the first time that we been there and he did apologize for the inconvenience, I totally agree that you have to defend your employees, but also train them so things like this don't happen again read more

They shorted me on my meal. Take ordered a 1/2 dark and 2 sides and one of the half chickens was missing a whole drumstick. For me it's the principle of the matter. If I order something and pay I should receive it as advertised. If I didn't have to work I would definitely drive up there and demand my money back. read more